Fork construction



May 5, 1953 R. SAMSON 2,637,104

FORK CONSTRUCTION Filed June 22. 1950 a face of each of the outer prongs and on both side surfaces of the prongs between the outer prongs. The food retaining teeth I6 are formed by a series of indentations along the marginal inside surfaces of the prongs, each indentation having a first portion that extends inwardly at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the prong, and a second portion which extends obliquely outwards from the inner end of the rst portion to the outer surface of the prong. This arrangement forms a series of saw-like teeth along `the inner surface of the prong which are adapted to catch and retain the alimentary paste food as it is picked up by the fork.

In the illustration shown, the teeth extend for approximately 2/3 of the overall length of the prongs but it is also contemplated that they could extend for about 1/4 or 1/(2 of the overall length of the prongs depending on the relative size of the fork and the particular use contemplated.

The edges of `the teeth IS are rounded to conform with the overall elliptical section of the prongs, and the outer surface of the outer prongs and the upper and lower surface of all the prongs are smooth and rounded so as to avoid any inconvenience when the fork is placed in the mouth.

In the alternative construction shown in Figure 5, the saw-like teeth are replaced by a series of outwardly extending projections 20 which extend along the inner side surfaces of the prongs IM in a similar manner to the food retaining teeth i6 of the previously described construction. These projections or teeth 20 are disposed obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis of the prongs and are arranged in staggered relationship relative to each side of the inner prongs as shown in Figure 5. The general cross section of the prongs of this alternative construction is also of a substantially elliptical form and the outwardly extending teeth are blended into the prong body so as to leave a smooth upper and lower surface on each prong. In effect, the arrangement of the teeth of this construction is similar to the formation obtained by forming each prong in a spiral and then removing the outstanding projections on the upper and lower surfaces to reduce the prong to the desired elliptical cross section.

As in the previous construction, while the preferred construction illustrated shows the food retaining projections or teeth extending from adjacent the open end of the prongs upwardly along approximately 273 of the overall length of the prongs, it is also contemplated that the teeth could. extend only for about 1,/4 or 1/2 of the overall length of the prongs, depending on the relative size of the fork and the contemplated use.

It has been found on experiment that table forks embodying food retaining means according to the invention when inserted and withdrawn from a mass of cooked alimentary paste food such as spaghetti, or noodles, the food passes between the prongs and is retained thereon so that it can easily be dished out or handled for eating. This presents a distinct advantage over the ordinary fork as the nature of foods of this type, when cooked, is such that it cannot be retained and simply falls off the fork unless it is wrapped around the prongs with the aid of a supplementary utensil.

I claim:

1. A table fork useful for eating cooked spaghetti and having substantially the general structure of a conventional table fork including an elongated handle and a shank from which extend at least three substantially equally spaced apart blunt-ended prongs all of substantially the same length having outer ends remote from the handle, being two outer prongs and at least one inner prong, the outer prongs having outer side surfaces which are smooth and blunt inner side surfaces provided with a plurality of re-entrant notches, said inner prong having both side surfaces provided with a plurality of spaced apart reentrant notches, each notch being shaped so as to provide a tooth having a face substantially perpendicular to the axis of the fork, having a base at the inner part of the notch and a face oblique to the axis of the fork extending from said base to the side surface of the prong in a direction towards the handle, each tooth having a blunt outer face parallel to the side surface of its prong, each prong being substantially symmetrical in cross section whereby its thickness is about the same at its inner and outer sides, the prongs being so spaced apart as to allow the entry of the prongs into a hank of spaghetti combwise with the strands of spaghetti between the prongs, the oblique faces of said teeth being adapted to allow the inward sliding of the spaghetti between the prongs without hindrance, said substantially perpendicular faces being adapted to catch the strands of spaghetti and to hinder their sliding outward on said prongs, and the notches being spaced apart effectively to engage a plurality of strands of spaghetti at once and thus to hinder their sliding from the fork, said notches extending from adjacent the free ends of the prongs a major portion of the length thereof.

2. A table fork, according to claim 1, which has two inner prongs, both said inner prongs having both side surfaces provided with a plurality of spaced apart re-entrant notches.

RENE SAMSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

